Asian countries strengthen regional action on marine plastic litter

Representatives from seven Asian countries* came together in Kochi, India, (8-12 December) to enhance their capacity to combat plastic pollution from ships and protect the marine environment.

All countries are participants of the OceanLitter Programme and two events were held to support national priorities while strengthening regional cooperation to prevent and reduce marine plastic litter from the shipping and fisheries sectors.

The first event was the Third Asia Regional Task Force (RTF) workshop (8-12 December), funded by the RegLitter Project, and the second event was a dedicated Port State Control (PSC) training (10-12 December), funded by the GloLitter Partnerships Project. Both projects are under the umbrella of the OceanLitter Programme jointly implemented by IMO and FAO.

Regional Task Force (RTF) Workshop

The RTF workshop aimed to strengthen regional action on sea-based sources of marine plastic litter. The workshop was implemented with support from the RegLitter Project, a regional project connecting seven South Asian countries to address sea based sources of marine plastic litter issues.

The workshop included sessions on the international legal framework addressing marine plastic litter from sea-based sources, including MARPOL Annex V, the London Convention/London Protocol and the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear. India and Thailand shared their experience in relation to ratifying and implementing MARPOL Annex V and London Protocol respectively.

Participants worked collaboratively to review and advance regional actions from previous workshops, while exchanging views on national circumstances and opportunities for research cooperation. To further advance the workstream on research sharing, India shared national research initiatives on marine plastic litter from the shipping and fisheries sectors with the other participants.

MARPOL Annex V Port State Control (PSC) Training

The event included a dedicated MARPOL Annex V Port State control (PSC) training with practical, hands-on, experience conducted aboard a vessel.

The training strengthened the capacity of Port State Control Officers to implement and enforce MARPOL Annex V, focusing on ship-generated waste management, inspection procedures and compliance-related challenges through a combination of classroom-based instruction and onboard practical exercises..

*India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam